


.: Never Better :|: Miguel Diaz/OC :.

by VashWritingPro



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-05-27 15:13:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 12
Words: 21,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15027374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VashWritingPro/pseuds/VashWritingPro
Summary: '' I Wanna Hold Your Hand So Tight, I'm Gonna Break My Wrist '' ~:||:~ Miguel Diaz/OC---Ongoing, Started 5|13|18





	1. - 00 -

**Author's Note:**

> So I started writing this on Wattpad and decided to post it on here too lol

§ Never Better §

Part One

MIGUEL DIAZ/OC

 

Introduction

 

A Miguel Diaz/OC

 

\- Warnings -

Swearing.

Short chapters.

Occasional long chapter.

 

This is NOT, I repeat, NOT a book about Xolo Maridueña. He is his own person. This is solely about the characters from the YouTube Red series, Cobra Kai. 

 

 

Ongoing, started 5/13/18


	2. - 01 -

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet Ellie Finch (portrayed by Grace Fulton).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go lol

　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ I used to wanna be, 　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙  
.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ Living like there's only me 　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙

 

Living in 2018 wasn't quite as glamorous as one might think. In fact, it was pretty shitty. School was shitty, technology was shitty, and sometimes people could be pretty shitty, too. 

Take Ellie Finch for example. 

"Hey, Elles!" Demitri waved from his and Eli's table in the lunch room. Big brown eyes flashing with equal shares of amusement and frustration settled on him, accompanied by a bright smile upon one of the happiest faces in the whole school. Crowds parted just to let her through as that girl made her way across the lunch room. 

Okay, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration. There really hadn't been anyone in her way in the first place. She made a face at Demitri, wrinkling her nose as she walked by. 

"Don't call me that, Demitri. We've talked about this." But her smile remained cheerful as she waved, brushing her hair out of her face as she headed for her own table that she shared with a few other girls. Demitri and Eli the Silent both watched her go, blatant longing on their faces. 

"We can never have her, Eli," the taller boy sighed, and his friend nodded sadly. 

Ellie sat down in her usual seat, smoothing her skirt and crossing her legs. Her lunch wasn't very appetizing, but she took a bite anyway, peering over her shoulder at the two boys who were still looking her way. The skin in the corners of her eyes crinkled as she smiled again, waving at them from her perch halfway across the cafeteria. Both visibly blushed and busied themselves with their food, turning their backs to her. She chuckled, shaking her head. 

"They all look at you that way. Why don't you just choose someone? You could literally have any boy in this school, and almost any girl." Aisha rolled her eyes, picking at her lunch feebly. Ellie's smile faded into one of sympathy as she reached out, grabbing her friend's hand. 

"Don't say things like that, Aisha. It doesn't matter who I could have. I don't want anyone at this school." She pulled her hair up into a messy ponytail, but a little bit fell out, framing her face on either side as she ate. Her gaze flicked upwards to settle on her friend, who still wasn't eating much. 

"Why not? There are so many guys here that I would do anything just for them to ask me my name." Aisha finally picked up her sandwich, taking a bite and chewing with thoughtful eyes. She pushed her glasses up her nose, giving Ellie a once over. The girl was tall, but thin. She didn't exactly have the ideal 'hourglass' body shape that a lot of guys tended to be into, but she was still rather curvaceous, something Aisha wished she could relate to. 

"So why don't you ask them theirs? You can't just wait for success to come knocking on your door, Aisha. If you do that, then your life will have been a waste." Ellie raised her eyebrows, pointing her fork accusingly at the girl sitting a seat away. Her friend just snorted, shaking her head. Ellie couldn't help but smile a little. It just felt natural. She preferred it. 

"Are you crazy? We can't talk to them. We're nerds! We'd get killed." The comment caught Ellie's attention, and she glanced over at Demitri's table. He was pointing an accusatory finger at a boy she didn't recognize, one who was looking at the table beside hers. Specifically at Samantha LaRusso. 

"Oh, come on, man! You've got to take initiative! You can't just wait for success to come knocking on your door and drag you out of bed in the morning, can you? If you do that, then you'll never get a girl!" Miguel Diaz was staring at Demitri and Eli in absolute disbelief. The two boys had no confidence in anything outside of the fact that they were losers. Sure, so was he, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to try to become something else. 

Ellie was simply surprised to hear her own words echoed moments after she had just uttered them. 

"See?!" She turned to face Aisha, a smug grin settling upon her face. "That kid knows what's up. What did I just say? If you sit back and do nothing, it's going to come back and bite you in the ass." She turned back to watch what the new kid would do, and it would be a lie if she claimed she wasn't rather proud to see him walking towards Sam and her friends. 

"Hey, Babe." Her anticipation was shattered as Kyler Burrell swooped in and kissed her old friend on the cheek right in front of New Kid. She could practically feel his confidence seep out onto the floor, and her heart cracked a little at the way his face fell. All she wanted to do was swoop in and drag him back up onto his feet when he sat down at Demitri's table instead. She glanced at Kyler and Sam, frowning slightly. 

"Some power couple, huh?" Aisha had finished her food and was eyeing Ellie's salad rather suspiciously. The girl took a few quick bites before shoving the rest over to her friend and getting up as she straightened her skirt. She tightened her ponytail and took a deep breath, heading over to the other table. 

"Hey, Eli. Demitri," she greeted, sitting in the free chair between the taller of the friends and the new kid, who was staring at her in slight shock and confusion. 

"Hey, Elles," Demitri replied, popping a grape in his mouth with a flick of his wrist. Eli waved, managing a small smile. Ellie grinned toothily at him, returning the gesture. When he smiled a bit wider, she felt accomplished. Usually she only got a wave. 

"Don't call me that, Demi Lovato," she fired back, folding her arms over his chest and smirking at the way he grimaced upon hearing the nickname. "Tell me, who is my new friend?" She turned her attention on the new kid. 

Miguel tensed under the girl's gaze. Her brown eyes seemed to stare right through him as she met his gaze steadily and held it. He couldn't look away. It was like she was deciding who he was before he had even done anything to show any personality at all. 

"Miguel," he introduced himself, instinctively holding out his hand. "I just moved here." She took his hand, and he was startled by how cold her hands were. She seemed like a warm person, and the way she radiated positivity made the temperature of her hands make even less sense. 

"Ellie. Not Elles. Sorry if my hands are cold, I just washed them." She let go of his hand, catching a flicker of surprise in his eyes and chuckling. "It's nice to meet you, Miguel. I like your boldness. We don't have a lot of that from the right type of people in this school." She tugged her hair out of the ponytail, securing the elastic around her wrist as she stood up. Miguel watched her with wide eyes and a slightly opened mouth. 

"Maybe I'll see you around," she suggested, waving as she headed off with an extra bounce in her step. Aisha had finished her salad already when she got back. 

"He nice?" The girl asked, not looking up from her phone as Ellie sat down. She smiled a bit, pulling out her own phone. 

"Yeah, he's pretty cool." 

"Oh, no. Don't even think about it." Demitri shook his head at Miguel, closing his eyes. "Trust me, we've all tried, and I mean all. She has no interest in the human population at this school. She's friends with all, but more than friends with absolutely nobody. I think the only romantic attraction she's ever felt is towards that guy that played the new Spider-Man. Tom something? Even then, I think it was more of a thing for Peter Parker than the guy who played him." Demitri shrugged, shaking his head at the faraway look on Miguel's face. 

"She's pretty cool, huh?" He asked to nobody in particular, poking at his tray. 

"Yeah, she's really something."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I continue?


	3. - 02 -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got two comments encouraging that I continue so here you are. Also, for those of you that give a shit, Ellie is portrayed by Grace Fulton. (I love her she is gorgeous).

　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ And now I spend my time, 　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙   
　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ Thinking 'bout a way to get you off my mind 　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ 

 

"Miguel Diaz, huh? He sounds like a dork." The comment made Ellie frown. She turned and glanced over her shoulder at Yasmine and Moon, who were snickering at the boy from across the lunch room. He had eyes on Samantha LaRusso, just like he did every lunch period for the first month of his stay. Ellie couldn't blame him, though. He was a teenage boy, and Sam was admittedly very pretty. 

"Are you just going to stare at him every day?" Aisha asked grouchily. Ellie scowled at her, sitting back in her seat and taking a bite of her salad. 

"Don't be such a sourpuss. I'm watching out for him, that's all." Ellie shrugged like it was no big deal but she was itching to walk over and start a conversation. He was in almost all of her classes, but they sat far away, and she tended to try and pay attention anyway. 

"Mhm. Sure, Ellie." Aisha stole her salad from right under her nose, but Ellie hardly noticed. She was already standing up. Her muscles tensed when he looked at her instead of Sam for a moment, surprise seemed to flicker in his eyes when he saw her looking right back at him, and an awkward smile broke out on his face. "Go talk to him, you idiot," Aisha said, kicking her in the back of the knee. Ellie's leg buckled, and she caught herself on the table, stumbling forwards. There was a soft snicker from behind her, and Demitri was looking at her with a smug grin on his face. 

Not so perfect now, huh? 

She could practically hear the boy's voice in the back of her head, and suddenly she was laughing too. She brushed off her jeans and scurried over, sitting across from Miguel and next to Demitri this time. 

"You fascinate me," she blurted out, resting her chin on her fist and her elbow on the table as she studied the boy across the table. 

"Well, hello to you, too. Nice of you to stop by. Actually, we were just telling our new buddy Miguel here how you have the greatest relationship advice out of anyone in the school, but somehow you've never been in a relationship. Care to explain?" Demitri sounded pleased with himself, as if he had this all figured out. He probably thought he did. The idea made Ellie snort with laughter, and she spared him a glance, relishing the way his confident smile faltered. 

"Demitri, the coach doesn't play the game. Everyone knows this." His horribly confused look was enough of a reward for Ellie, who just laughed harder as she turned back to Miguel, who looked even more lost. 

"I fascinate you? How? What does that mean?" He asked, head tilting slightly like a lost puppy. Ellie smiled. 

"Well, for one thing, on your first day I overheard you saying that you need to take initiative, because success doesn't come knocking on your door. And yet, now, I see you pining after the same girl at lunch every day, but you don't do anything about it." Ellie smirked and Demitri gasped. Eli looked like he was enjoying this as well, but he always had the same expression so Ellie could never tell. 

"Damn, Elles, that was one hell of a roast. What else have you got up your sleeve?" Demitri once again ignored Ellie!s request for the nickname to be forgotten, and judging by the glint in his eye, he had done it on purpose. Ellie stuck her tongue out at him, scowling. 

"Shut up, Demitri. Anyway, as I was saying, I just think it's interesting that you would give people that advice and not follow it yourself." There was a cough from her right, and she closed her eyes, letting her head fall forward onto the table as Demitri grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like 'hypocrite'. 

"W - Well, you see, I didn't know at the time that I said that that the girl had a boyfriend.. Specifically a boyfriend who has beat me up multiple times and poured medicine on my head.. So that definitely affected my decision." He nodded as if this made total sense, but Ellie's scowl just deepened. She stood up abruptly, chair sliding back. 

"Kyler, stand up!" There was another could of a chair scraping the floor, and Ellie turned around, a sweet smile spreading across her face. "Is it true that you've been beating up poor boys on the side of the street like some lowlife homeless man would mug a rich guy at an intersection?" 

Kyler's eyes went wide, and he glanced over her shoulder at Miguel. Ellie stepped to the side so she blocked his view again. The entire cafeteria was silent. She was still smiling. Sam looked shocked as well. 

"Nah. But I beat up a little bitch who ruined my night out with the boys." There was a bubble of laughter in the lunch room, and Ellie's smile faltered. Kyler noticed, and he seemed to hesitate a little bit. Silence fell once again, and she took a step forward, raising her eyebrows. 

"Well, I heard that it happened more than once. I also heard you stole his medicine and poured in on his head. Am I correct?" He didn't reply, so she pressed on. "If I'm not wrong, Kyler, then that's a big problem we've got there. Because you see, it doesn't matter what kind of medicine it was, or who it was for. The school doesn't care." His eyes went a bit wider, and her confidence returned smoothly. "Wanna know why it doesn't matter?" He didn't say anything once again. 

"It doesn't matter, Kyler, because I will vouch for this boy, and I know countless others that have been victimized by you will vouch for him as well. The school will find out, and if they find out, you could get kicked from all of your sports teams." She made a mock-surprised expression, covering her mouth dramatically. "Oh dear. No scholarship for you.. And no captain for any of your sports teams." 

Dead silence met her words. She smirked, holding his gaze steadily and shoving her hands in her pockets. Aisha's mouth was hanging opened, and she was sure Demitri's was too. She shrugged with an indifferent expression. 

"The choice is yours, Kyler. Clean up your act, or you won't have one left to be cleaned up." She turned and strolled out of the cafeteria, not even pausing to look at Miguel as she walked past. She heard chatter explode in the room behind their the second the door closed, and pride swelled up within her as she turned a corner and leaned into the air with a muffled shriek of pure victory. A pair of footsteps thundered down the hall, but she didn't pause, just continued on her way. 

"Hey! Wait up, Ellie." She paused at the sound of her name and glanced over her shoulder to see Miguel catching up with her. "That was... Insane!" He was smiling from ear to ear, and Ellie just shrugged, but she couldn't keep her own smile off her face. 

"It wasn't really that difficult. Kyler has gone after so many people, including Aisha. I'm sure there's camera footage of almost everywhere he's beat you, and the others as well." She started walking again, and he followed, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Plus I've seen him and all of his friends vaping in the bathroom, where there are definitely cameras and it's definitely against the rules. The school is just too stupid to check unless someone tells them deliberately." 

"That was still so cool. I can't believe you stood up to him like that. It was amazing!" Miguel was staring at her with huge and shining eyes. It took her a minute to realize it was almost the same way he always looked at Sam during lunch. Part of her was flattered, but another part of her was uncomfortable. She had never been interested in dating, not since her first boyfriend. Long story short, she hadn't felt ready and he got pissed, there was a big fight that ended with a shove and she left. Nobody here in the Valley knew about it. She had shown up at the end of middle school out of nowhere, and nobody knew where she came from, which she preferred. 

It wasn't like she came from somewhere dangerous or cool, she just thought it was boring. She moved from the big city, New York. Lots of people here would find that interesting, seeing as it was on the other side of the country, but she didn't care much for her old home. She hardly remembered much of it anyway. 

"Thanks, I guess. I'm sorry he's been bothering you. I don't even understand how he and Sam started dating." Ellie rolled her eyes. "Sam's dad, Daniel LaRusso, is honestly the coolest guy to ever live. There's no way he approves of Kyler unless he just doesn't know about him at all." 

Miguel didn't say anything, and Ellie turned sharply into the library, grabbing his arm and dragging him along behind her. She sighed, shaking her head with a small shrug. 

"I miss him sometimes. He's kinda like my dad too, in a way. Is that weird?" She glanced at Miguel, suddenly feeling unsure of herself, which was a first. He visibly softened, even smiled a little bit, which helped her relax. 

"That's not weird at all. In fact, I think I can relate."


	4. - 03 -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> People asked politely for more so here you are :)

　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ I used to be so tough, 　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙   
          　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ Never really gave enough 　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙

 

"So what's your story, then?" Miguel asked from where he was laying across a bench in the park. Somehow, he and Demitri had talked Ellie into an evening stroll, which led to her miraculous convincing of her mother to let her out of the house on such short notice. 

"Dude!" Demitri interrupted, eyes wide. "You can't just ask her that." Ellie raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at her lips as Miguel glared at Demitri. 

"Why not?" The boy asked. "It's a conversation starter!" Demitri rolled his eyes, folding his arms over his chest and looking away. 

"Because nobody knows her story! Plenty of people have tried to get it out of her, and she won't break. God, you should know these things by now." The last comment had Ellie laughing so hard she had to sit down on the ground next to the bench, clutching her stomach. 

"I'm from New York," she informed Miguel once she had calmed herself down, though she was still giggling a little bit. "Don't mind Demitri, he tends to be a bit dramatic. My mom and I live in Encino." She shrugged, trying to play it off like it was no big deal. It really wasn't, in her mind, but she knew that to others it was a symbol of who you were before you could even introduce yourself. She met Miguel's gaze steadily, and she saw the lingering question that remained unanswered. She smiled awkwardly, breaking eye contact and clearing her throat. 

"Um.. My dad, he isn't really.. Around much. He works for a really important company, and it requires him to travel worldwide a lot of the time." She nodded once, pursing her lips. "He thinks that as long as he keeps putting money in the bank account that counts as being part of the family. Key word, thinks. It's why, as terrible as it is for me to say this, I prefer Mr. LaRusso, but obviously I haven't had much luck in that department lately what with Sam getting new friends." Ellie shrugged, looking down at her hands where they rested in her lap. 

"That sucks." Miguel's voice didn't hold the sympathy Ellie had been expecting. Instead, it held a certain level of understanding that actually kind of scared her. Demitri was listening very intently with wide eyes, probably taking notes to pass on to whatever weird friends he had in school. But Ellie just turned around and watched Miguel curiously, head tilting slightly. The boy looked right back at her with a grim smile and a small nod. 

"Yeah," the girl murmured softly, eyes alight with wonder. "It does." 

"Alright, if you guys are just gonna keep staring at each other like that then I think I'm gonna go find whatever corner Eli is hiding in and take him home." Demitri stood up and brushed off his pants. Ellie straightened up with an amused smile. Meanwhile, Miguel was trying to pretend he didn't know what the other boy was talking about, even after his green hoodie had disappeared around the corner. 

"My mom left my dad," Miguel said after a few long moments of silence. "He was pretty shitty, I guess. Never really knew him. I think she dropped him before I was even born." Ellie stared at the hand that was dangling off the edge of the bench very closely. Would she be overstepping her boundaries if she tried to hold it? It could just be a gesture of comfort. She brushed her own hand against his, heart speeding up a little bit when he grabbed hers before she could even grab his. 

"I'm sorry, Miguel. I cant imagine not knowing my dad. He used to be awesome, before he got so busy." She frowned, clutching his hand tightly in her own. 

"I think it's easier, though. At least I don't know what I'm missing. It's got to be a lot harder for you," he pointed out. Ellie thought about it for a few minutes, looking down at the playground on the bottom of the hill. She watched as a small group of kids converged in the center then split up into groups for a game they must have come up with on a whim. 

"I don't think that's necessarily true. Sure, I have something to miss, but there are also things I don't miss. But for you, when you see people with their parents, it's easy to overlook the bad stuff." She leaned her head against his arm, taking a deep breath. "Having a dad looks like all you could ever want from the outside. And don't get me wrong, it is. You just don't see the annoying stuff." 

"I guess you have a point," he admitted. "It does suck to see people with something I've never had. But I can relate to your Daniel LaRusso story. I started taking karate with this guy that saved me from Kyler and his goons outside of the corner store at the Recita strip mall, his name's Johnny Lawrence and he's got a dojo called Cobra Kai. He's become something of a father figure to me. He's taught me so much." 

Ellie tensed up at the name as something about it jogged her memory a little bit. One of the crazy childhood stories Mr. LaRusso had told them back when she used to go to Sam's house more often. God, it must have been a long time for her to be forgetting. She scrunched up her face in concentration. 

"Daniel LaRusso hates Johnny Lawrence," she stated bluntly as the realization hit her like a ton of bricks. "Johnny Lawrence used to beat him up all the time cause Mr. LaRusso liked his ex." Miguel sat up a little bit, his grip on Ellie's hand tightening a little. 

"Really?" He asked. She nodded. "Wow. Sensei always kinda seemed like a good guy." 

"I'm sure he is a good guy," Ellie reasoned. "It's been decades since he picked fights with Mr. LaRusso. Plus, he got his ass kicked in the tournament they fought in, or so Daniel said. I wouldn't be surprised if he kept his distance after that, which is what Daniel said he did." Miguel still looked a bit troubled. 

"Great. One of my best friend's father figure hates my father figure." He laughed, getting off the bench so he could sit next to her instead. Their shoulders brushed as she adjusted her grip on his hand so they could remain comfortable, watching the kids for a few minutes. 

"I mean, I haven't seen Mr. LaRusso in a while now, so it doesn't make much of a difference to me." She shrugged, looking down at her feet. "Besides, people are entitled to their own opinions on other people. I could never judge Johnny before I met him, despite what he might have done to Daniel in the past." 

"Come meet him, then. I have training after school every day. You can ride double on my bike like kids used to do all the time, and meet him. I'm sure he won't mind as long as you don't loiter." Miguel grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck with his free hand. "I mean, find something to do. I don't think he likes being watched." Ellie hesitated, thinking about it for a few minutes. Finally, she nodded. 

"I don't see why not. I can always just do my homework outside if I start bothering him." She shrugged, smiling a little bit. 

"I'm sure it won't come to that," Miguel assured her. "He's difficult, but he won't kick you out, I'll make sure of it." Her smile grew. 

"Why, thank you, kind sir." She leaned against his shoulder gently, shifting her hand within his grip and lacing their fingers together. 

"No problem, Princess."


	5. - 04 -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today’s the daaaaaaaay! I just realized I never posted this lol so here y’all go. For those Miguel-lovers our there just like meeeeee woo

　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ But then you caught my eye, 　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙   
　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ Givin' me the feeling of a lightning strike 　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ 

 

Ellie, come eat breakfast!" A soft voice drifted in through the opened door. Ellie rolled over and sat up slowly, groaning as she tugged at her less-than-perfect hair and stood up, stretching. She grabbed her sweatshirt off of the floor and pulled it over her head, then replaced her pajama pants with a pair of pajama shorts. 

"Hey, Mom," she mumbled as she sat down in her usual seat. It was much too early in the morning for full conversations, but Mrs. Finch tended to get up before Ellie had school so they could talk with each other before she left. 

"Good morning, Sweetheart. Did you sleep okay?" Mrs. Finch's voice was soft, and sweet. It was easy to listen to. That was one of the main reasons Ellie didn't totally hate their morning conversations. Her mother really was amazing. 

"Yeah, I slept well. The toast, Mom." Ellie took a bite of her eggs, gesturing behind her mother to where the toast had popped up a few moments before. While the woman's back was turned, Ellie are a bit faster, set on having time to wash and dry her hair before school. "I've gotta go quickly, or I won't have time to get ready." Her mother agreed quietly and Ellie pushed her plate away, heading upstairs to the bathroom. 

She picked out an outfit that would be comfortable for probably sitting on the floor, choosing a pair of shorts, a spaghetti strap tank top and a blue flannel. She took a quick shower and towel dried her hair as best as she could before getting dressed and leaving the flannel unbuttoned. A pair of sandals found their ways onto her feet and then she dried her hair, running her fingers through it a few times. It was a bit more wispy than she would have liked it on top so she found her blue and white baseball cap and shoved it over her head with a satisfied huff. 

She shouted goodbye to her mother over her shoulder, picking up her bag and rushing outside. The bus was already at the end of the long driveway, so she doubletimed it, dodging the car that was at the end and scrambling up the steps. She thanked the bus driver for waiting rather breathlessly and plopped down in the first opened seat. She and Aisha didn't live close enough to be on the same bus, but she usually got at least one visitor in the morning. 

"Hi." Today it was a freshman boy who looked scared out of his wits. Ellie smiled warmly, scooting over so he would have room. He sat down with a red face and glanced back up the aisle where an outbreak of giggles were heard. 

"Hi. I'm Ellie," she introduced herself. He looked over at her and managed a small smile as well, running a hand through his hair. 

"I'm Liam. This was a dare... My friends found out that I think you're pretty, and they dared me to ask you out on a date." He ran a hand down the side of his face, practically radiating exasperation. "It's really not like that, though. I like another girl, one who's actually in our grade. So can you just say no, and I'll leave you alone?" Ellie laughed, lifting a hand to brush her hair out of her face. 

"Well, thank you for the compliment. I think you're rather dashing as well." He blushed, and her heart melted a little. "I wish you the best of luck with the girl you like, Liam. I am very sorry, but no, I would not like to go on a date with you." He looked relieved and thanked her quietly before leaving to sit with his friends again. Ellie was still chuckling to herself when the bus pulled up to the school and she stood up, following the single file line to get off. 

She waved at Liam as she passed, enjoying the way his friends all exploded into movement, shaking him and laughing. He waved back with a huge smile of his own, and Ellie turned to head into the school. She searched for her locker, which she hadn't opened in a couple of weeks, and put in the combination. She pulled her missing sunglasses out, wondering how she had managed to leave them in there and slipping them into her bag. 

"Hey, Elles!" Demitri greeted loudly, leaning against the lockers next to hers. She slammed her own locker door shut to make sure it didn't fail to lock, and tilted her head back so she could see her friend from under the visor of her hat. 

"Hi, Demi Lovato!" She replied just as cheerfully, reaching up and pinching his cheek. His facial expression contorted, and he touched his cheek briefly as she turned to greet Eli, who waved in return. "Where's Miguel?" 

"He rides his bike to school, so he'll be here later -" Just as Demitri finished his sentence a hand landed on Ellie's shoulder. 

"You were saying?" Miguel asked with a smug grin. Ellie turned around, laughing softly. 

"Wonderful timing, sir," she said with an amused smile. He grinned, shrugging sheepishly. 

"I do try, my lady," he replied in a terrible British accent. Ellie chuckled, glancing at her watch just as the bell rang. 

"I'm gonna get going. You coming, Lancelot?" She gave Miguel a once-over. He nodded, and they both bade Demitri and Eli goodbye as they headed for their first class. "So what should I expect from this Sensei of yours?" Miguel thought about it for a second, and Ellie had to grab his wrist to steer him into their classroom before he got lost. 

"Well, he's kind of loud. He's a bit aggressive sometimes, and I don't think he's realized yet that it's 2018, not whatever ancient time it was when he was a kid." Miguel followed Ellie over to her desk where she put down her stuff and sat in her seat, watching and listening. "He's really controlling, and a little hot-headed, but I'm helping him with that kind of stuff. I'm sure it'll be fine." 

"He sounds cool," Ellie commented, pulling out her history binder. "I'd love to hear more about him. Maybe I'll convince my friend Aisha to come sit at your lunch table today so I can hear more." She smiled, shrugging. "Anything can happen. Now go sit down, class starts in a minute and Mr. Anderson is never late." Miguel nodded quickly and scurried off, sitting in his seat halfway across the classroom. 

Occasionally, he would glance back at her, but she hardly paid attention to him once the lesson began. She would, as Miguel had come to observe over the few months that he had been there, fill out at least three sheets of loose leaf paper by the end of class. Front and back. That was on days that they didn't have notes. And her handwriting was tiny! He sighed, forcing his attention back to the front of the classroom. They had held hands in the park. That had been nice. But he liked Sam, didn't he? 

He liked Sam because she was hot, not because he knew her. He knew Ellie, and she was admittedly very pretty too. The problem was, Sam actually dated people. Ellie didn't seem to keen on the dating idea. Miguel frowned. Perhaps it was something he could talk to Sensei about. On a day where Ellie wasn't there, of course. For now he'd have to deal with it on his own. 

He had a feeling that Demitri and Eli weren't going to be much help in the matter.


	6. - 05 -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe I’m not sure how I feel about the chapter as a whole but I really enjoyed writing Johnny into it lol

　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ Look at me now, I'm falling 　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙   
　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ I can't even talk, still stuttering 　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ 

 

"You seriously need to do your homework," Ellie scolded her friend as the final bell signified the end of the day. Demitri rolled his eyes, picking up his bag and heading for the door. Ellie followed him closely, tugging on his sleeve and nagging him the whole way out. 

"Alright, say I agree to do my homework and try harder in classes. Why do I need to be able to recite a soliloquy from Romeo and Juliet again? Oh, that's right, because lawyers are definitely going to be professing their love to their clients in Shakespearean." He rolled his eyes, and Ellie couldn't help but laugh at his logic. 

"You have a point there," she admitted. "But still. It doesn't matter what the class is about. The grade is going to go on your permanent record! Law schools are super strict about who they let in to their classes, you know." She ducked under Demitri's arm, scurrying forwards and jumping onto Eli's back. "Eli, tell your boyfriend that he needs to pay more attention in class!" Eli's face turned beet red as Ellie let go of him, turning around and casting a sly smirk at a furiously blushing Demitri. 

"I'll get you for that!" Demitri promised. "If it's the last thing I do!" 

"Mhm," Ellie replied sarcastically. "You do that, boo. I've gotta go." Miguel was trying to hurry past as if he were running from something, but Ellie caught up, leaping onto his back like she had done with Eli. However, instead of sliding right back off, she curled her legs around his waist and held on for dear life. 

"Coming through!" Miguel called out, and a few phones were whipped out as Ellie was paraded out the door, laughing hysterically. "My lady!" The boy bowed dramatically once he had put her down, which coaxed another bubble of laughter from her chest. 

"My knight in shining armor!" She replied, throwing an arm around his neck and ruffling his hair harshly. He pushed her away, grinning as he tried to fix his hair without a mirror. 

"You ruined the perfection!" He complained. Ellie rolled her eyes, sticking out her tongue at him and watching as he unlocked his bike from the rack. 

"Yeah, well, it had better be beyond ruined once you're done with today's class, Diaz. Otherwise I'm gonna work you until it all falls out of your head," she teased, tugging on a strand of black hair and swinging her leg over his bike. He stood on the pedals and took off, wobbling a bit at first. Ellie scooted back as far as she could without falling off and clung to his waist like her life depended on it. The strip mall wasn't too far away, but it was far enough that an extra person weighing the bike down obviously put extra strain on Miguel. 

"Let's go, Diaz! Kick ass!" Ellie shouted, smacking him on the back as he turned into the parking lot and slowed down. "I want to see you sweating buckets, or else you aren't working hard enough!" Despite the confidence behind her words, Ellie nearly toppled over when getting off of the bike. She laughed, stumbling away as her backpack threw her even further off balance, and finally managed to right herself. 

"Diaz! Get your ass in here. I'm the one that gives the orders around here, understand?" A sharp voice demanded. Ellie looked up with wide eyes to see a tough-looking dude in a black gi standing in the doorway of the Cobra Kai dojo. She couldn't keep the smile off her face as Miguel hurried to lock his bike, rushing forwards with a breathless 'Yes, Sensei'. 

"Hi! I'm Ellie. Miguel has told me lots about you!" She greeted Johnny, sticking out her hand. He stared at it for a second, before looking up at her with narrowed eyes. 

"Yeah? Well he hasn't said shit about you. What do you want?" Something about his bluntness made Ellie feel like he was perhaps too good of a fix for Miguel's oblivious nature, but she found it entertaining so she just shrugged and pulled her hand back. 

"Miguel invited me to meet you. He speaks very highly of you, and I just thought I'd introduce myself. I have plenty of stuff that I can do outside if it's too much of a bother." She started to open her backpack and pull out her homework, only for Johnny to reach out and stop her. He eyed her rather oddly for a minute, and Ellie found herself feeling a bit confused. He seemed like he wanted something, but he wasn't saying anything. 

"Um... Mr. Lawrence? Is there something you needed?" She asked patiently. Johnny blinked, shaking his head once as if to clear it. 

"Yes! You're a girl, right? Can you follow a very specific list of chores?" His seriousness almost had Ellie laughing again, but she bit her lip, somehow sure that her amusement would not be appreciated. Instead, she just nodded. "Great, come on in, you can leave your shoes by the door." He stepped aside and held the door while she entered, kicking her shoes off and placing them under the window. She followed him into the little office he had set up for himself in the back of the building, her smile only growing. She could definitely see the man Mr. LaRusso had always described, but he was almost veiled by this looming and rather forced presence of control. 

"I assume you know how to work a sponge," Johnny said matter-of-factly. "Girls know how to do that, right?" Ellie raised an eyebrow, straightening her ball cap. 

"Mr. Lawrence, can you work a sponge?" She asked very seriously. He made a face at her, reaching under the desk and pulling out a bucket. 

"Of course I can work a sponge, I'm not stupid!" He retaliated. "I asked if you could work a sponge, and you answered my question with another question. Why are girls so complicated?" Ellie actually did laugh this time, reaching forwards and grabbing the bucket. 

"Girls can do anything boys can do, Mr. Lawrence." She smirked, taking the dry sponges off of the man's desk when he placed them down. Johnny raised an eyebrow. 

"I don't think girls can get people pregnant." The bluntness of his statement was what really killed her. He said it as if he was afraid she actually wasn't aware. Ellie stared at him for a minute, mouth hanging opened. He was right, too, which just made it all the more horrifying. 

"You're right!" She said loudly. 

"Of course I'm right!" Johnny replied, brow furrowing in a way that said, 'when am I not?'. "There's a faucet out back, you can ask the kid to show you when he's done changing. He did a shitty job on the mats." Johnny opened the fridge and pulled out a beer, flicking the cap at the wall once he got it off. Ellie picked it up and put it in the trash, heading towards the door. 

"Oh, if you don't mind, leave them a little slippery. I want to see if he falls." Johnny's laughter echoed behind her as she turned to face Miguel, who was fully changed and eyed her bucket with slight distaste. 

"No, no. You don't actually have to do that—" he started to say, but Ellie cut him off sharply. 

"Actually, I'm interested in seeing you slip and fall as well, so I think I'm gonna go ahead and do it." She nodded firmly, holding the bucket up. "Show me where to fill it?" 

"You found a spunky one, Diaz! She's a keeper!" Johnny shouted. Ellie shook her head, but she was smiling as Miguel beckoned her towards the back door with an exasperated sigh. 

"He's definitely got character, that's for sure."


	7. - 06 -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s a loooooooong one. Sorry for the wait! I’ve been wrapped up in Reddie things... Oops. Haha

.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ This ground of mine keeps shaking .･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙  
.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ Oh, Oh, Oh, Now .･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ 

 

"So how'd you find that place?" Ellie asked Miguel next time he was on his way to the dojo. It was the night of the Halloween dance, and she had to get ready, but she had walked him out to his bike. 

"He saved me from Kyler and his idiot friends once while I was buying medicine for my grandma," Miguel explained. "I asked him to teach me, and he said no. I don't know what changed his mind, but a few days later, he was all, 'Are you ready to learn the way of the Fist?' and I was all excited, you know?" She nodded, smiling a little bit. She could picture that. 

"You're going to the dance, right?" She asked, just out of curiosity. "Its always been super fun, and I'm sure Demitri and Eli wouldn't mind having another addition to their pity party. That is, of course, unless you've already got a date." She wiggled her eyebrows, grinning as his cheeks were slightly flushed. He swung a leg over his bike, and dint say anything for a moment, frowning deeply. Her smile started to fade. 

"Yeah, I'm going," he said finally. "Sensei is driving me. I don't think that counts as a date, but close enough, right?" Ellie laughed at that, nose crinkling as her mouth stretched into a huge smile. Miguel seemed proud of himself, and she could see the big smile that he was trying to hide as well. 

"Then I'll see you there," she said, punching his shoulder playfully and turning to walk away. 

"Yeah! See you around," Miguel called after her. Ellie pushed her hair out of her face and climbed on to her bus, plopping down in her seat. She could hear the excited roars of her fellow classmates nearer to the back of the bus, all excited for the dance and acting anything but their ages. One of the voices was more familiar than the others, and Ellie glanced back, peering over the edge of her seat at where Sam was sitting and laughing with Kyler. Usually she got driven home with Yasmine and Moon, so it was a little strange to see them on the bus, but Ellie decided not to question it. 

Sam's eyes flickered up and met Ellie's. Both girls froze. Then Sam mumbled something to Kyler and got up, making her way over. Ellie moved her bag so Sam could sit down, smiling a little bit at her old friend. 

"Hey!" Sam greeted her cheerfully, tilting her head. "It's been a while since we've talked. How are you?" 

"I'm fine, actually. Still just as single as I was last time we talked," she joked, and Sam rolled her eyes. It had always been one of the girl's greatest missions to find someone for Ellie, but the shorter girl wouldn't have any of it. 

"Are you just as busy, too, or do you maybe want to hang out some time?" She suggested. Ellie's eyes widened a little bit in surprise. Sam smiled, shrugging her shoulder sheepishly. "I mean, just you, me, and Aisha. We haven't hung out together in forever. I kinda miss you guys." She lowered her voice and leaned in, amusement dancing in her eyes as Ellie leaned in, too. "I think my dad misses you most of all." 

Ellie laughed, shaking her head. "I miss your dad, too. Tell him I've been thinking about him lately. And ask him if he can make those pancakes next time I come over!" Sam nodded her head in agreement, and Ellie sighed, glancing out the window. "So what about this dance, huh? I heard you and the squad are going as Laker Girls. I was going to complete Aisha's costume, but my mom dug out her old cat costume that she wore at her first dance with my dad and got it altered so I could wear it." Ellie rolled her eyes, and Sam laughed. 

"That sounds like her. The costume however, does not sound like you. Is it sexy?" Sam wiggled her eyebrows, and Ellie snorted. 

"Are you kidding? It's my mom's from when she was a sophomore, of course it's sleazy. A black miniskirt that hardly covers my butt, and the tail doesn't help. Thank the lord in heaven above that it's long-sleeve, I've heard it's going to be freezing tonight." Am nodded, glancing out the window. 

"This is my stop," she said, and Ellie nodded, waving. "I'll see you tonight!" Sam said, eyes bright with excitement as she hurried off the bus. Ellie felt a new spark of excitement herself, and the ride to her bus stop was agonizingly long, but she lived. 

Walking into the house, she was immediately ambushes by her mother, who dragged her into the bathroom and gave her a towel, insisting she shower first. Ellie giggled, shooing the woman for more privacy and doing as she was told. She dried her hair and allowed her mother to do it up in a fancy bun, although one uncooperative strand dangled in her face. 

"Let me do cat makeup!" Ellie begged her mother, wishing for anything but the weird and over the top blacks and greys that the woman wanted to cake onto her face. 

"Absolutely not!" Mrs. Finch shook her head firmly. "You can dress however you want for your other dances, but this one is mine. Put on your costume, we're getting ready while we still have time." Ellie gathered up what looked like literal threads of fabric into her arms and hurried into her room, closing the door. She sighed heavily, and put her head in her hands. 

This was absolutely ridiculous. She put on the fishnet tights first, then the miniskirt, which hardly covered up anything. She tried to pull it as low on her hips as it could go so it covered her butt better, but any lower and it would just fall off completely, which was even worse. Next, she pulled on the shirt, which was uncomfortably tight but still soft. The neckline dipped low, but she decided she could live with it as long as she tugged it upwards every now and then. The ears were the only acceptable part of the costume. She slipped on the headband and shifted it so the ears were centered, smiling a little. The tail was annoying since her mother got one that had wire in it that kept it upright. Despite the overall sleazy and whore-ish look of the costume, Ellie's favorite part was the shoes. They were black heels, not too high, but not to short either. They were simple, and she could wear them elsewhere if she really wanted to. 

"You look great!" Her mother squealed, forcing a plate of dinner into her hands before she was even sitting at the table. Ellie chuckled, taking her time with her food even though she could tell her mother was impatient to start on her makeup. 

Ellie regretted allowing her mother to choose anything. She wound up with a face full of makeup that made her look like somebody else. Her upper lip was fully coated in black lipstick, but her lower was left blank. There was a line going from her Cupid's now to the tip of her nose, where there was a 'cat nose' covered in black. She had 'whiskers' and her eyes were covered in smokey greys and blacks. Her mother had tried to get her to put in contacts that would give her slotted pupils but she flat out refused those, which was the one thing that actually went her way. 

"Let's go!" Mrs. Finch cheered, taking a few pictures and grabbing the keys. Ellie followed her silently, checking her phone every so often. She had gotten a few angry texts from Demitri demanding to know why she wasn't there the moment the doors opened, and one frustrated message from Sam about how her father was chaperoning. 

"Wonderful!" Ellie said aloud, sarcasm dripping from her voice as they turned out of her street. "First time I'm seeing my father figure in months, and I look like a slut!" Mrs. Finch scoffed, smacking her knee gently. 

"You don't look like a slut, you look gorgeous!" 

"No, Mom. I look like a slut. But I love you, so I'm wearing your costume." Ellie grinned, unbuckling their seatbelt as they pulled into a parking spot. 

"I think you look adorable," her mother remarked, and Ellie hugged her tightly before getting out of the car. "I'll pick you up whenever you need me here! Just text me." Ellie waved, before starting on her way towards the gym. The hallways were silent, but the gym was packed. 

People were running around or dancing everywhere she looked. It was much more packed than it had been the previous year. Ellie started immediately towards the corner where she knew Demitri and Eli camped out in every time. 

"Uh, no. Go home and put some clothes on," Demitri said firmly the second he spotted her. Ellie laughed, punching his shoulder roughly. "I'm serious! Do you even know how many people were staring at you the moment you walked through that door?" 

"Aww, is Demi Lovato worried about me? How cute!" Ellie chuckled, pinching his cheek. She was careful not to smudge the paint on his face, grabbing his arm and holding on for dear life as the crowd moved around them. "Nobody is looking at me, anyway. They're all looking at Yasmine, see?" She pointed to the small group of girls in their yellow and purple uniforms, laughing and talking with each other. 

"Trust me, people are,looking," Demitri assured her. "I'll bet money that at least one guy is going to look down your shirt when he asks you to dance. We all know you're too nice to say no." Ellie looked down at the low-cut neckline of her shirt and tugged at it a bit uncomfortably. 

"I would bet money that they won't!" She replied haughtily. "Because I'm not planning on dancing with anyone I don't know tonight." Demitri shrugged, and something in his expression told Ellie that he didn't believe her. As if on cue, a freshman boy showed up in front of her with a huge smile on his face. 

"Hi!" The boy said, leaning on the table with one hand. "Would you maybe want to dance? You know, just you and me." Ellie's face became a bright red color, and she would have pinched her brow if she wasn't afraid it would mess up her makeup. But at that moment she spotted Mr. LaRusso standing on the other side of the gym, and her eyes lit up. 

"Sorry, but I just saw someone I really wanted to talk to. I'll see about that dance later, okay?" She assured the boy, who looked surprised, but nodded anyway. Ellie hurried across the gym, dodging people and objects as she made her way towards the man she had seen only moments before. 

Before he even saw her, she crashed against him in a firm hug. "Mr. LaRusso!" She cheered, and she could feel his shock fading as he relaxed and returned her embrace, even spinning her around once with a surprised laugh. 

"Ellie, my girl! It's been too long!" He replied, and she pulled away, beaming up at him. "How have you been?" 

"I missed you!" She blurted out. "It hasn't been the same without seeing you almost every day. I miss waking up to the smell of your cooking." He was smiling hugely, which put an even bigger smile on her face as well. "And I miss our secret midnight snacks, too," she informed him as quietly as she could without her voice being lost under the music. 

"Those were fun, weren't they?" He agreed. "You can stop by anytime, you know. You're family. Sam doesn't have to invite you." Ellie shrugged, chuckling. 

"I don't know. I've never been one to show up places unannounced." She smiled sheepishly, scratching st the back of her neck. "I really did miss you, though." 

"I know, Elles. I missed you, too." The nickname had her giggling, even though she hated it when Demitri used it. He had picked up on it once when he had heard Mr. LaRusso call her that at one of the last school dances, and hadn't let it go ever since. 

"Well, I've gotta go," she murmured, glancing around at Demitri and Eli, who now had a newcomer. It was a skeleton, and she had a feeling she knew who it was. "We should catch up some time?" She suggested. "Sam was talking about a get together with me, her and Aisha. We could discuss things over a plate of pancakes." She giggled, and he nodded enthusiastically. 

"Absolutely! We can make it happen. I'll see you then, kiddo." He waved, and she scurried away after another brief hug. When she reached her three friends, the skeleton was staring at her with a slightly opened mouth. Ellie raised an eyebrow, glancing at Demitri, who had a smirk that read 'I told you so'. 

"Miguel!" Ellie greeted him loudly. "I like your costume!" The boy snapped out of his daze very suddenly, eyes wide and mouth falling opened even wider. 

"What? Oh— Oh yeah! Me too. I mean!" He grimaced, shaking his head. "I meant, I like yours, too! It's really... Uh..." He searched for the word, and Ellie bit back another fit of giggles at the thoroughly embarrassed look on his face. "It suits you," he finally managed to spit out. Ellie clapped politely, earning a sharp laugh from Demitri. 

"Very good, Miguel! Points for politeness." She laughed at the helpless expression crossing his features, and glanced at the snack table. "I'm going to get a drink, does anyone want anything?" 

"Damn, thirsty already!" Demitri commented. Ellie threw a punch, landing a solid hit to his shoulder. He flinched, grasping the spot tightly with narrowed eyes. "Jeez, it was a joke! No need to act as feisty as you look." Ellie snorted, patting his cheek gently and making her way over to the snack table. She poured herself a cup of punch, nearly jumping out of her skin when there was a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Liam, the freshman boy who had sat next to her on the bus that morning a few days ago. He was dressed as a knight and blushing like mad. 

“Um.. Hi again. I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Liam, and the girl I like is here tonight but I’m afraid to ask her to dance. You had good advice before, so I was hoping maybe you could help me out?” He sighed heavily, and he looked defeated, like he already believed she was going to reject him. Ellie smiled softly, and grasped his chin, lifting his head. 

“Of course I remember you, and of course I will help you,” she replied firmly, taking a sip of her drink. “First thing’s first, girls like a guy who’s confident. Show me your game face.” He furrowed his brow, and thought about it for a moment. The only thing he succeeded in doing was looking miserable. “Never mind, just do your normal face,” she insisted, laughing a little bit. “What you’ve gotta do, Liam, is walk right up to her. Present yourself confidently, make sure she’s paying attention, and ask her. Deal?” He nodded, though he looked uncertain. 

He was halfway across the gym when he glanced back, and she nodded encouragingly. He managed a small smile, and approached a girl who was dressed as an angel. Though she didn’t seem very angelic. Her costume was even worse than Ellie’s in the department of slutty. The blonde turned to look at Liam with an expression of surprise, but from this distance all Ellie could do was hope that she wasn’t mean. A bubble of laughter swelled up from the group of girls, and her heart sank as she watched Liam’s shoulders slump. He glanced back, and she put done her drink, expression softening as she beckoned him over and started walking. 

Liam met her halfway just as a slower song started to play and the lights dimmed down. Ellie grabbed his hands and put them on her waist, looping her own around his neck, but he was standing at arm’s length like he had absolutely no idea what to do with himself. 

“Come closer,” she insisted, tugging at the back of his neck. He shuffled forwards until she could fully wrap her arms around him, and they started to sway gently from side to side. “Some people are just jerks,” she told him quietly. “Girls like her are only in it for the sex, and you don’t want that. Trust me. You should be in it for the personality, and for the love, and for the relationship itself, get it?” He nodded, and she let her chin rest on his shoulder. She spotted Mr. LaRusso looking at her and smiled at him, waving. He just nodded, smiling himself. 

Next she saw Sam, who looked surprised to see her dancing with a freshman (or with anyone for that matter), but winked anyway. Ellie rolled her eyes, flipping her off behind Liam’s back. They continued to turn, and then she spotted Miguel, and her features softened. He was staring right back at her with big eyes, and she tilted her head a little bit, biting her lip. She tried to assure him with a joking look that he would get his turn, but she doubted it was working. 

The song came to and end, and Ellie gave Liam a kiss on the cheek, patting his head softly. He batted her hand away, flushed and smiling like an idiot. 

“Have a good time, my good Sir,” She said, tapping his shoulder softly before heading over to her friends. Miguel was still looking at her, but Demitri and Eli were busy looking at each other. 

“Are you two going to dance, or what?” Ellie demanded as the next slow song started to play. Demitri glared at her while Eli blushed furiously under his mask. Ellie raised her eyebrows. 

“Are you two going to dance?” Demitri shot back, gesturing to her and Miguel. 

“We are, actually!” Ellie replied before Miguel could say anything. She grabbed his gloved hand and dragged him onto the dance floor, watching with a triumphant smile as Demitri caved in and brought Eli out as well. “This is okay, right?” Ellie asked suddenly, looking up at Miguel as she settled her arms around his neck. She stood a little closer than she had stood to Liam, somehow feeling like she was supposed to be closer. 

“Yes!” Miguel said a bit loudly, and she giggled, letting her head fall forward to rest against his chest. He wrapped his arms more fully around her waist, and she sighed comfortably, tucking her head under his chin and closing her eyes. 

“You know, Mr. LaRusso is here tonight,” she mentioned casually, and Miguel’s grip around her waist tightened a little bit at her words. “I would ask for you to come meet him, but one of his stories was about how Johnny and his friends chased him away from the Halloween dance while wearing the exact costume you’re wearing right now.” Miguel’s chest jumped slightly, but she could hear the nerves in his laughter. She could feel his heartbeat, a bit faster than normal against her cheek. 

“Maybe another time, then,” Miguel agreed. “When I’m not dressed up as his greatest enemy, and we can break the news gently.” Despite Miguel’s hopes, Ellie opened her eyes to see Daniel staring at him with his mouth opened, and when he saw her dancing with him, his eyes flickered with something Ellie wasn’t sure she wanted to look too far into. But she stared back at him anyway, smiling grimly, and lifting her head a bit. She nodded once, and Daniel sighed, shoulder slumping defeatedly. 

“Hey, you’re a good guy,” Ellie said, finally tearing her eyes away from Daniel. “He couldn’t hate you if he tried, I promise.” She reached up and poked Miguel’s cheek, nose wrinkling as she got some of his paint on her finger. The song was ending. She reached up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek anyway, wiping the paint off with a soft chuckle. 

“Hey, look. One of the posters!” Miguel grabbed Ellie’s hand, and she grinned, curling their fingers together and grabbing Eli as she was hurried by. Demitri followed by default, and she found that they were headed straight towards Daniel. She let go of Eli, squeaking in surprise as Mr. LaRusso caught her by the arm and her hand was pulled from Miguel’s grip. 

“Hi!” She chuckled, fighting to calm the nervous anxiety in her stomach as Miguel turned around in slight surprise to see her speaking to an adult. “Funny meeting you here,” she attempted a joke, but Daniel wasn’t paying attention, he looked back at Miguel, who was being ushered away by Demitri, who glanced back with an apologetic look. 

“Who’s that guy?” Mr. LaRusso asked, pointing after him as they disappeared out of the gym. Ellie averted her eyes, shrugging. She rubbed her shoulder awkwardly, frowning deeply as Daniel fixed her with a stare of utter disbelief. “You danced with him! You must know who he is.” 

“He’s my friend! His name’s Miguel, and he’s very good to me,” she said quickly before he could question the boy’s treatment of her. “He’s funny, and sweet, and yes, he is dressed as a skeleton.” Daniel’s eyes flashed, and he straightened up, taking the fatherly approach. The feeling of having someone do that for her was nice, having him care for her like a daughter, but it crossed with her relationship to Miguel. 

“And is this ‘Miguel’ associated with that?” Daniel asked, pointing at the flier on the wall that had Johnny Lawrence’s face on it. Ellie swallowed thickly, looking down at her shoes. 

“Mr. LaRusso, he’s really nice, I swea—“ She started to say, but the adult cut her off, shaking his head firmly. 

“No, Elles, he’s not. Ali thought Johnny was well and great, too, but look where that got her! He’s a jerk, and he’s goin’ to hurt you, because that’s what Cobra Kais do. Hurt people.” Daniel pulled her into a soft hug, and she returned it, though reluctantly. She liked the feeling, but she didn’t like the conversation. 

“But he’s just like me, Mr. LaRusso!” She insisted, though her voice was muffled by his jacket. “His dad and mine, we’ve both got issues with them. We get each other, and—“ 

“Ellie, I get that! I get you. My dad died when I was really young!” Daniel reminded her. She pulled away, frowning deeply. 

“I know, but he’s a really good friend of mine. Come on, you should come meet him! I promise, you’ll like him!” She begged, grabbing his hand and tugging him towards the exit of the gym. The man followed her reluctantly, and she pulled him out into the quiet hallway. The moment she was out, she realized how much of a mistake it was. Her eyes settled on Johnny, who spotted her, and lit up visibly. Then his gaze followed her arm and saw who’s hand she was grabbing, and darkened. She swallowed thickly and Daniel squeezed her hand, pushing her back gently. 

“You have got to be kiddin’ me. What are you doin’ here?” Daniel demanded. Ellie snuck under his arm, watching the exchange with wide eyes. Johnny scoffed, but he didn’t seem entirely bothered by Daniel’s presence as he stuck more tape to the flier he was putting up. 

“Promoting my business,” Johnny replied. “Why don’t you try minding yours?” Ellie’s heart sank. This wasn’t helping her case. She stuck close to Daniel’s side, even when he tried to push her back behind him. 

“Minding mine?” Daniel laughed disbelievingly. “Listen, Johnny, I don’t know who you think you are, but—“ he was cut off by the sound of excited laughter, and Ellie looked up to see Sam scurrying along with Kyler through the hallway behind Johnny. Confusion bubbled up in her stomach as Daniel started walking, and she was tugged alongside him. 

“You can’t be here! You have to get off school property,” Daniel warned Johnny as he walked by, and Ellie started untangling herself from his arm. “I’m serious!” Daniel said a bit louder, his voice bouncing and echoing in the hall. 

“Yeah, I know you’re serious!” Johnny replied, and Ellie could hear the smile in his voice. She finally pulled away from Daniel, but he caught her hand, looking back at her in confusion. 

“What are you doin’?” He asked, gesturing at Johnny. Ellie hesitated, eyes wide. 

“I have to find Miguel! And you have to go do whatever you’re gonna do over there. Crash Sam’s Party, I guess.” She laughed at that, but Daniel didn’t even smile. Her own grin faded, and she looked down at where he was still gripping her hand tightly. 

“Jesus, Danielle, she’s not even your kid. It’s not like you can tell her what to do.” Johnny’s voice rang out, and Ellie flinched, closing her eyes. She could feel Daniel’s frustration and anger radiating off of him in waves. 

“You stay out of this, Johnny,” Daniel pointed a threatening finger in the blonde’s direction. Ellie turned around to look at the other man, who was looking right back at her with raised eyebrows. 

“You gonna take this shit, little girl? What happened to the snarky side you had last time we met?” Ellie knew it was over the second those words left his mouth. Daniel let go of her hand and was storming away already. Ellie bit her lip and stared after him, completely torn. Johnny was chuckling behind her and she suddenly liked him a lot less. Hot tears filled her eyes, and a few of them spilled over as a soft sob passed her lips. Daniel stiffened at the sound as it echoed, but Ellie could hardly see him through the tears blurring her vision. 

“You just ruined it,” she cried, whirling on Johnny. “You just ruined my relationship with the closest thing I have to a father.” Her voice was shaking terribly, and she almost couldn’t understand herself. “I liked you! I thought you were actually an okay guy. I gave you a chance because Miguel trusts you! He swears by you!” She raised her voice, but her rant just ended in another pitiful sob. 

“You can tell Miguel that you just ruined his friendship with me. See how he worships you then!” She snapped, turning around and burying her face in her hands. Her makeup was probably ruined at this point, but it was hard to care about that when on one side of the hallway there was someone she didn’t want to see, and on the other side was someone she was fairly sure didn’t want to see her. 

“Elles...” She flinched away from his voice, sniffling as she slid down the wall and pulled her knees up to her chest. 

“Just go find Sam, Mr. LaRusso. She’s your real daughter, after all.” There was a moment where the hall was filled with silence except for the rustle of paper. Then she heard his footsteps retreating into the rest of the school. She stayed put, letting it all out into her arms, not bothering to find tissues or an adult to help her. There was an angered shout from somewhere down the hall that sounded a lot like Sam, which wasn’t surprising, seeing as she was an easily angered individual. Ellie lifted her head and let it rest against the wall, ignoring the man who was slowly making his way towards her with his stupid tape dispenser and fliers. 

“Listen, I, um...” His voice was quiet, and she could hear the veiled pain and regret. “I’m sorry about what I said. To you, not to that pansy bitch. But... Don’t blame the kid. He’s got nothing to do with this. It’s between me and that absolute piece of a dork.” Ellie glanced up at him, and she was sure she must look terrible. There were a few loud voices around the corner, probably some kids going to the bathroom. She sighed heavily. 

“I don’t blame him, I blame you,” she stated, fixing him with a cold glare. “But I’m leaving him alone for his own sake. If we’re friends and he finds out that Mr. LaRusso hates him, it’ll destroy him. I promised him that Daniel would understand, but obviously he doesn’t.” She turned her head away sharply. “He’s better off without someone who doesn’t like you, anyway. Like I said. He worships you.” There was a moment of silence in which Johnny just stared at her. She sniffled, frowning deeply. Then a voice she did recognize cake floating around the corner as a door slammed opened. 

“Oh shit!” Demitri shouted, scrambling around the corner. Eli followed, eyes wide with terror, and both of their gazes settled on Ellie. Eli visibly relaxed, but Demitri only seemed to get even more riled up at the state of her. 

“What’s this?” The boy demanded, glaring at Johnny. “Who’s this guy? Excuse me, Sir, but I’ll have you know that—“ 

“Demitri.” Ellie stood up, brushing past Johnny and walking over to her friend. “I just want to go home,” she mumbled, folding her arms over her chest. She refused to meet his gaze, turning and starting to walk in the other direction. She heard his footsteps shuffling after her, followed by Eli’s, and she saw Daniel as they rounded the corner. He looked completely lost, and she felt her heart clench again as she bit her lip, falling back towards her friends. Demitri’s hands brushed her shoulders, as if to just let her know he was there, and she appreciated it as Mr. LaRusso’s gaze settled on her, softening. 

“I’m sorry, Mr. LaRusso,” she said as firmly as she could while her voice was trembling as bad as it was. She didn’t stay to hear his response, instead turning and leading her friends towards the gym again. The door to the boy’s locker room burst opened and Demitri practically shrieked as Kyler and his friends walked out, laughing amongst themselves. They barely spared their group a glance, although Kyler eyed Ellie a bit darkly. Johnny came around the corner with big eyes, and Ellie glanced back at Demitri, who just had a grim look on his face. 

Ellie stared at the door. If she moved now, she could make it there before Johnny. She could call for an adult and go in there to make sure Miguel was okay, boy’s locker room or not. She hesitated, and Johnny got closer, moving slowly, as if waiting to see what she would do. 

“I could go get that LaRusso guy around the corner—“ Demitri began to suggest, but Ellie shook her head. 

“No,” she whispered. 

“Let’s just go home.”


	8. - 7 -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS I JUST EARNED MY GREEN BELT IN KARATE TONIGHT!! So this chapter is short and kinda filled before the actual shiz that’s gonna go down in the next one but I promised a certain someone I’d try to bang something out by tonight... So there you have it! Some anxious Ellie in some serious denial along with confused Demitri and concerned Eli. There’s a storm brewing... Hope it’s not too boring for you guys it kinda felt boring while I wrote it.. Anyway, here it is haha

　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ All I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be 　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙   
                                   　.･:*:･'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ Yeah, yeah, is somebody to you　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ 

 

Ellie was not looking forward to school that morning. But she didn't complain, and she woke up on time, despite the temptation to pretend she had slept in. Her mother seemed to almost sense she was in a bad mood, as she always tended to do, and she simply left a plate of toast out without a word. She didn't even complain when Ellie didn't eat any of it. 

Sam sat next to Ellie on the bus that morning, gushing about how she was excited for their get together that night. She reminded Ellie to bring her pajamas since it always ended in a sleepover, which was another thing that Ellie was dreading. Besides seeing Miguel in class and in the halls, she was also rather afraid to face Mr. LaRusso. She knew that by pulling away she was only making the disconnection greater, but she was terrified of what he would say if she found herself alone with him. 

Sam left her once they got off the bus in favor of walking with Kyler, which Ellie didn't mind, especially since she could already see Demitri. She hurried over to him, and he automatically threw an arm over her shoulders in a casual way that had her rolling her eyes as he immediately launched into a rant about how his mother refused to allow him access to his smartphone while at home. 

"I mean, I understand the mentality behind it. She thinks we should spend time with the people who actually live with us. But why would anyone want to do that when the people who don't live with them are so much more fun?" Demitri made a face, and Ellie giggled, shrugging his arm off her shoulder as they reached the lockers. Eli showed up moments later, and Demitri used him as a replacement armrest, though he was much more careful this time. Ellie raised her eyebrows at him as he slid his arm gently over Eli's shoulders rather than just throwing it over them like he had done to her, but the boy pretended not to notice, even when his partner's face became a bright red color. 

Impatience to head to her first class and avoid confrontation in the hallway was tugging at Ellie's heart. She shifted uncomfortably on her feet, glancing around to make sure Miguel wasn't heading towards her from any random directions. Part of her didn't want to talk to him about what she was sure Johnny had told him all about, but the other part just really didn't want to see him as beat up as he surely was. 

"I think I'm gonna go," she told Demitri, turning and walking off before he could reply. She spotted Aisha and ran over, falling into step beside her with a soft sigh. The girl glanced at her, raising her eyebrows, and Ellie frowned, returning the gaze. 

"Are you excited about tonight?" She asked, and Ellie smiled, though it was a little forced. 

"Definitely!" She managed, and Aisha's eyebrows rose even higher. Ellie averted her eyes, but she knew her friend could see right through her. It was one of the girl's most special skills. 

"Aren't you excited to see Mr. LaRusso? He was at the dance last night, did you see him?" The name sent a stake through Ellie's heart, and her breath hitched a little bit. She was frowning now, and she pushed her hair out of her face and focusing her gaze on her feet as they navigated the hallways. 

"Um.. Yeah! Of course I'm excited to see him," she lied through her teeth, biting her lip gently. "I saw him, but I didn't get a chance to talk to him very much. Quick hello, how are you, you know the deal." Aisha nodded, and they turned into their first class of the day, plopping down in their seats. Ellie, tapped her foot absently, her gaze darting around the room rather nervously. Miguel wasn't in their science class, but she just felt on-edge. 

"I'm excited, but I know it's different for you. There was always something about the way you guys looked at each other that just screamed 'father-daughter' in a way that only people as close as family could have." Aisha's comment caused a deep blush to blossom upon Ellie's face, and she clutched her cheeks in cold hands to cool them off. 

"He's very special to me," she whispered, looking down at her desk. "I guess it has something to do with the fact that my dad isn't really around much, and Mr. LaRusso was just always there, you know?" She put a large amount of stress on the word 'always', worrying her lower lip between her teeth once more. 

"I get it," Aisha replied. The final bell went off, shrill and sudden, and Ellie almost had a heart attack at the sound. It must have showed, because Aisha laughed. "Jesus, Ellie, you need to relax. You look like you're expecting somebody to burst into the room with a chainsaw and go all Friday The 13th on the whole class." 

"Shut up! I'm just not in a great mood." Ellie turned her head away, pulling out her science supplies and a pencil. "I'm sure it'll be better by the end of the day." 

"Yeah, it'll be better because you'll get to see both of your boy toys," Aisha teased. "Miguel at lunch, and Mr. LaRusso after school. I've never seen two guys wrapped so tightly around a girl's finger. I think the only person who has more influence on Mr. LaRusso is Sam, but even that's only just by a smidge." 

"Oh my God, shut up. I'm not his daughter, of course I don't have that much influence on him." She avoided the topic of Miguel, pinching the bridge of her nose and pulling out her homework for the teacher to collect. 

"You're not his daughter, but you've always been 'His girl'," Aisha pointed out. "He even gave you that nickname. Don't play dumb, you have more influence on him than most people." Ellie shook her head, but she knew Aisha was right. Her biggest problem was that she didn't think that was true after the events of the previous night. 

The teacher started the class, and Ellie tried to pay attention, but her knee was bouncing restlessly and her gaze kept flickering around the classroom. The day went by slower than slow could possibly be. Every second lasted an hour, every minute a day, and every hour a year. Lunch approached, and Ellie was seriously considering just spending it in the library when a hand pressed to her back and shoved her down the hallway. 

"We are on our way to lunch!" Demitri announced to nobody in particular, raising his eyebrows as he tugged Eli along by the wrist. "We are on our way to lunch, and nothing is going to stop us from sitting at our table!" Emphasis on the word 'our'. Ellie flinched, but allowed herself to be pushed and shoved down into her seat. She kept her gaze focused on the table, even as Miguel sat across from her, and she refused to look at him, absolutely sure that she would see an angry boy, or even worse— An angry and bruised and broken one. 

She could feel his gaze on her when she stood up, pulling her wrist out of Demitri's grasp when he grabbed it and storming off towards the lunch line. She could feel it when she waited her turn to but her salad, which she was going to eat for once, even though her stomach felt like something was terribly wrong. She felt it on her way back, too, and when she stabbed her plastic fork into her food so hard that it almost broke. She took her first bite of salad, keeping quiet even as the others conversed, answering Aisha's attempts at conversation with short, choppy replies. 

"This is unbearably awkward," Demitri sighed dramatically. "I've gotta say, Elles, I don't know what happened, but you had better stop it, because it's weird, and it makes me uncomfortable. Be louder." She flushed an angry red color, scowling as she turned her head away and pushed away her empty salad container. The desire to go home hit her like a brick, and suddenly she was very nauseous, but she didn't say anything. 

"Are you okay?" Her head snapped up and she glanced at Eli, eyes wide. His brow was furrowed, and his face actually showed an emotion besides anxiety; Concern. Ellie's mouth fell opened slightly, and she stared at him for so long that she almost forgot the question she was supposed to be answering. 

"Yes!" She finally said, though it was a bit too loudly. She winced at the volume of her own voice, the teacher died again. "I'm fine, thanks for asking. I'm great, actually. Just perfect." She smiled big and fake, but tried to make it look convincing. Inside, her stomach was churning, and her head was starting to ache. Her foot was tapping again, fingers drumming against the table as she struggled to remain still and keep herself from accidentally looking at Miguel while her gaze darted frantically around the lunch room. Sam was looking at her weirdly, a small frown on her face, but Ellie ignored her, closing her eyes for a brief moment. 

"It's probably for the best, actually," Demitri was saying when she refocused her attention on her own lunch table. "After all, if it just gets you into situations like that with people like Kyler, then it can't be good for you." 

"I just feel terrible," Miguel sighed. "I wasn't just doing it for myself anymore. I could just tell that it made Sensei Lawrence happy, and now my mom won't even let me talk to him." The words peaked Ellie's interest, and she finally looked at him, taking in his bruised face with deep discomfort. He caught her looking, and she looked away again, frowning. 

"I have to go to the bathroom,” she mumbled, picking up her bag. “I’ll see you guys later.” She grabbed her empty salad container and tossed it in the trash on her way by, exiting the lunch room and heading towards the nearest restroom. It was empty. She locked herself in a stall and put the lid on the toilet down, then sat. She buried her face in her hands, shaking her her softly. 

Her phone went off in her pocket, and she pulled it out, watching as Aisha’s name popped up first, then Sam’s moments later. Leave it to them to pick up on things immediately, even from afar, in Sam’s case. Ellie smiled a real smile, pressing a hand to her raging stomach as she unlocked the device and sent them each a quick text letting them know that she was just having an off day. 

The last two classes of the day were uneventful. Miguel sat on the other side of the classroom, so she didn’t feel obligated to speak to him, and he didn’t approach her. Whether it was out of anger or respect for her obvious avoidance, she wasn’t sure, but she could only hope it wasn’t frustration. She got on the bus side by side with Sam, and Aisha joined them this time, sitting in the seat across from them. 

Ellie didn’t talk much on the bus ride home, either, but she was relieved to see that neither Daniel nor Amanda were home yet, since she was sure Amanda had heard all about everything. She was sort of like everyone’s personal therapist in a way, but Ellie wasn’t sure she wanted to go to the woman about her own husband. 

So she settled for putting her stuff in it’s designated spot in Sam’s corner, keeping quiet even though her stomach was still very upset, and waiting for her inevitable doom.


	9. - 08 -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bam! Another update. You guys didn’t think I would leave you for too long with nothing but a filler chapter... Did you? Nope. Back and at ‘em. Haha

　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ Everybody’s try’na be a billionaire 　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙

　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ But every time I look at you I just don’t care 　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙

 

 

“Do you guys want a snack?” Sam asked, leading them into the kitchen. Ellie had always sort of thought of the room as Mr. LaRusso’s, since he did most of the cooking in the house. She hesitated, glancing around while Sam pointed out everything they had to eat. 

 

“I’ll just have a water, thanks,” she requested, trying to ignore the way her stomach continued to churn as she was handed her drink and led back out into Sam’s room. They all sat down on the girl’s bed, grinning like idiots and staring at each other for a few moments.

 

“So what do you guys wanna do?” She asked, raising her eyebrows. “We could play video games, board games, play truth or dare, draw and talk about life, or we could go back to square one and play stuff like hide and seek.” Ellie perked up a little bit and her inner child squealed in excitement. She hadn’t played hide and seek in ages, and Sam’s house was huge.

 

“Hide and seek sounds fun,” Aisha mentioned, and Ellie nodded vigorously in agreement.

 

“Yeah, let’s play hide and seek!” She agreed. “You count first since it’s your house,” she told Sam, already getting up. Her excitement nearly outweighed the anxiety, and her nausea started to disappear as a crazy smile spread across her face and she darted out of the room, glancing around as she made a break for the kitchen. There was one cabinet that Mr. LaRusso always used to leave clear on one side especially for games of hide and seek, but that had been years ago. She wondered if she could still fit, or if he even left it clear, and opened it to find the cabinet totally empty. She laughed a little, covering her mouth to muffle the sound, and squeezed her way in, closing the door quietly and pulling her knees up to her chest.

 

It was very hot inside the cabinet. She pulled out her phone for a little light and scrolled through Instagram, skipping past all of the videos of Aisha eating at the snack table. She had seen enough of it already. Resting her head on the back wall of the tiny space, she took a deep and slightly shaking breath. Mr. LaRusso used to play with them. For a minute, she almost thought she heard him calling out, looking for them, but she reminded herself that he wasn’t home yet. Then there was the sound of the front door opening, and she was pretty sure that Aisha hadn’t gone outside, and she was pretty sure Sam wouldn’t look for them out there.

 

“I’m home!” Daniel called into the seemingly-empty house. There was a tinge of amusement in his voice. Sam’s bare feet came pattering through the kitchen into the next room over.

 

“Dad, I need your help! I can’t find them. Help me look?” She requested. Ellie’s heartbeat picked up its pace a little bit, and she bit her lip. Mr. LaRusso would definitely look here. She listened as his footsteps entered the room, stalling for a moment, then dragged towards her. The cabinet at the other end opened, and closed. She covered her mouth to muffle the sounds of her frantic breathing as she struggled between her excitement and her fear of seeing the man who was almost halfway down the row now.

 

The cabinet right before hers was closed, and Ellie held her breath, staring intently at the door. The suspense was quite literally killing her. There was a rustle of clothing as he supposedly crouched down, and when the door opened, she realized with a rush of indigence that he had known it was this cabinet the whole time. He grinned at her and reached out, pulling her into the opened space,of the kitchen so she could unfold herself, which she did, standing up and stretching.

 

“You know I was in there!” She accused, unable to keep the smile off her face.

 

“Maybe,” he shrugged. “But where’s the fun in winning a game of hide and seek right away?” He winked, and walked out of the room, calling out to Sam about who he’d found. Ellie watched him go with a fading smile and a strong sense of nostalgia. She didn’t want to miss him as much as she did. But she found herself following him anyway, sticking to his side like a lost puppy while he navigated the halls of his own house, not saying anything but saying everything at the same time.

 

“So... My friend,” she began hesitantly. “He got the crap kicked out of him at the dance last night by a bunch of jerks at my school, and it wasn’t the first time.” Daniel stopped, shoulders slumping. He pressed his lips together in a thin line, and turned to face her. “He’s not allowed to train with Johnny anymore,” she blurted out, and Daniel’s eyes widened in surprise. “Do you think it would be the end of the world if I was still his friend?” She looked away, and the nauseous feeling returned as she started twisting her fingers together anxiously, foot tapping and gaze flitting anywhere but the man in front of her. Then a hand landed on her shoulder and she nearly jumped out of her skin, looking up at him uncertainly.

 

“I don’t know this boy,” he admitted, brow furrowing. “I know Johnny Lawrence, though. And he’s bad news, Elles. Bad news.”

 

“I know, but you don’t have to associate everything that he touches to a teacher he once had!” Ellie insisted. There was a flicker of surprise in Daniel’s eyes, and she pressed on. “He was a little rude, and don’t get me wrong, I don’t like him, but you both just seem stuck in the past. Whenever you see each other it’s like you drag yourselves back in time and suddenly it’s the tournament all over again!” She knew she was rambling, but Mr. LaRusso hadn’t interrupted her this time, so she decided to just see where it went.

 

“Miguel doesn’t train with Johnny anymore. He’s not very happy about it, but he doesn’t. Obviously Johnny’s rude behavior and snarky remarks haven’t rubbed off on Miguel, because he’s honestly one of the happiest and sweetest people I have ever met, and I really think you would like him if you just gave him a chance and met him.” She tugged at her hair nervously, averting her eyes. “I just want to remind you that just because Miguel is associated with Johnny doesn’t mean he ever has to _be_ him.”

 

There was a moment of silence in which Daniel just looked at her with shock written all over his face. Then the expression morphed into reluctant admiration, which confused Ellie, but he was just smiling a little bit.

 

“Alright, Elles. Okay. I can’t argue with that and win. I know how to pick my battles, and I lost this one fair and square.” Her breath hitched at his words, and she felt the tears that had been threatening to build up earlier in the conversation start to go away. “I’m proud of you for stickin’ up for what you think is right,” he told her firmly. “I can’t choose your friends for you, and if you’ve got a relationship with this guy, I guess I’m gonna have to back off just like any dad would.”

 

“Dad?” Ellie asked immediately, unable to push back the flare of hope in her chest. Daniel smiled a little bit, nodding and looking down at his feet.

 

“Yes, Ellie. Dad. You are still my girl, aren’t you?” He raised an eyebrow, and then Ellie was smiling too, leaning forward and accepting his embrace.

 

“Of course,” she mumbled, relieved and at ease with herself as he held her tightly.

 

“So I see you found her,” Sam’s voice rang out, dripping with amusement. Ellie pulled away from Mr. LaRusso and grinned at her friend, who had a hand on her hip with her eyebrows raised and a huge smile. Daniel laughed.

 

“I sure did. Come on, girls. Let’s go find your friend.”


	10. - 09 -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I had a crazy dream last night. I was Daniel LaRusso (don’t ask) and Kreese and Johnny were in this room but Kreese was like super physically abusive and Johnny hated it in this universe (not that it wasn’t the case in the movie it was just much more prominent in my dream) and so Johnny was scared of him and ran away but I started hitting Kreese with whatever I could get my hands on (like a fire extinguisher) and he left the room to find Johnny before I could stop him and there was a crowd in the building and I was still trying to hit Kreese so he turned around and started beating the shit out of me in front of people then left and Johnny showed up and saw what happened and he was horrified (I guess this was a LawRusso universe cause we were friends lol) and he runs up and I’m like totally dazed and out of it but he’s like “ITS GONNA B OK I SWEAR” AND IT WAS JJUST SO FUCKING WEIRD. anyways the dream changed a lot after that and no longer had anything to do with the karate kid but yeah lol

　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ Cause all I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be 　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙   
　.･:*:･'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ Yeah, yeah, is somebody to you　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙

 

"Come on guys, get up. Everyone in the house besides Mom and Anthony has to shower, we all leave at the same time. Dad goes first but after that it's a freeforall." Sam laughed, but Ellie knew it wasn't true. They had developed an order over the years. After Daniel went Sam, then Ellie, then Aisha. Amanda and Anthony showered at night. So she waited her turn and made quick work of herself, throwing her hair up in a messy bun rather than drying it all out and throwing on the clothes she had brought. 

Her sweater was soft and it reached over her hands, which she loved, along with the fact that her skirt was actually long enough to cover her butt. It reached the middle of her thighs, while still ruffling enough to not be totally boring. Her flats were slipped on next, and she yawned, rubbing her eyes tiredly. Sam insisted they could do makeup at the same time, which was true, due to the size of their bathroom mirror, so Ellie made quick work of her natural look, tugging her hair out of the bun after Sam whined about wanting to do her hair nice. 

She sat on a little stool and chatted with Aisha while Sam curled her hair and Daniel made breakfast. She could smell it from the bathroom, and it made her stomach grumble. Aisha was feeling her sweater sleeves when Sam finished, and Ellie stood up, running her fingers through her soft curls. They just hung loose, not tightly-wound like they could have been, but airy and bouncy just the way she liked them. 

"So..." Daniel looked up from his cooking as they walked in, eyebrows raised. "Anything big happening today? Like, for example, an apology? Just an example, of course..." Ellie flushed a deep red color as Aisha gave her a look that said 'I told you so' and Sam just looked confused. 

"Maybe," Ellie replied blankly, averting her eyes. But she was quick to down her breakfast when it was served and even quicker to gather her stuff and get into the car. She bade Daniel goodbye, even hugging his shoulders around the seat before she climbed out of the car, waving and making a dash for the school building. 

Miguel was standing with Eli and Demitri today. Ellie broke away from Sam and Aisha, running over and grabbing him by the arm. She spun him around and hugged him fiercely, burrowing her face into his shoulder. 

"I'm sorry!" She practically shouted, voice muffled slightly by the boy's sweatshirt. "For avoiding you, I mean. Mr. LaRusso was really upset with me and I was focused on other things, and I was confused, but I'm looking past all of that now and I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings!" She was almost afraid to pull away and look at his expression, but she could already feel him hugging her back just as tightly, which was promising. 

"Don't be. I'm used to being ignored by girls, believe it or not," Miguel replied casually. Ellie scowled, pulling away and looking up at his face. His bruises were fading but he still had a bandaid on his forehead. She reached up and brushed the edge of it with her fingertips, frowning deeply. 

“Don’t say that. Are you okay?” She fussed a little bit more, ignoring Demitri’s smug look from a few steps away in favor of focusing on her recovering friend. 

“Never better,” Miguel replied with a tight smile. Ellie scoffed. 

“Don't be stupid. They beat the living shit out of you. Now tell me, how are you really feeling?” Miguel’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, and Demitri snorted, earning a smack from Eli. Ellie sighed. 

“Better now,” Miguel tried again, smiling a bit. Ellie shrugged, deciding that if that was all he was gonna give her then she would just have to work with it. 

“Yeah?” She asked again, and he nodded. “Alright, well it’s gonna get better. I’m buying hot chocolate at lunch and you’re getting some.” She winked, turning and heading to her locker without waiting for a response. Granted, her locker was only about five steps away, on the other side of Demitri and Eli, but still. 

“Eli thinks you should ask if he’s allergic to anything before forcing a substance into his system,” Demitri informed her, frowning deeply. Ellie raised her eyebrows, a sharp laugh escaping her. She opened her locker and took out her books, brushing her hair out of her face. 

“Yes, because he spoke just now,” she replied sarcastically. “Everyone heard him.” She shook her head, smiling. “Whatever you say, Demi Lovato.” 

“Shut up, Elles,” he replied, wrinkling his nose. “Or I’ll go tell that kid you danced with the other day that you’re looking for more.” Ellie laughed, turning to face him. 

“Go ahead, turn around. He’s right behind you. Tell him I’d love to get together some time, watch some Netflix, chill a bit.” She bit her lip to contain her laughter when Demitri turned around to see a furiously blushing Miguel and his eyes widened. 

“I wasn’t talking about him!” The boy protested, voice dripping with annoyance. “I was talking about the freshman guy! Speaking of, what ever happened to the first freshman, the one that asked you to dance at the beginning?” 

“If you couldn’t remember, I got a little busy once I finished my second dance.” Ellie’s smile faded and she looked away. Miguel’s embarrassment melted into confusion, and guilt flooded her system. Johnny probably hadn’t told him what happened before they got separated. She sighed, shoving Demitri aside and grabbing Miguel’s hand. 

“Oh, okay, bye!” Demitri said incredulously as she dragged Miguel away to speak privately. 

“Look, I um.. While you were in the bathroom getting your ass kicked, I was with Mr. LaRusso because I wanted to introduce you, and we ran into Johnny Lawrence.” She pressed her lips together into a thin line and watched as Miguel’s expression morphed into one of understanding. “Needless to say, it didn’t end well. Lots of tears. Well,” she laughed, fixing her mistake. “At least, there were on my end. Fell out with my father figure. Currently very unhappy with yours. Cue avoidance. I just figured you deserved to know that there was a bit of a fight, and it really wasn’t anything you did, I just handled the situation pretty badly.” Ellie hadn’t let go of his hand the whole time. She poked his index finger with her own, curling them together and letting go, then repeating the action with her pinkie. He mirrored her movements, watching, almost mesmerized. 

“I get it,” he said finally. “You’ve known Mr. LaRusso your whole life, and Sensei can be a bit harsh. You don’t have to be sorry.” He caught her hand and laced their fingers together, smiling softly. “I’m just glad you aren’t avoiding me anymore.” Ellie smiled shyly, looking up at him through her lashes. 

“Yeah. Me too.”


	11. - 09 -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being inactive... I have been very busy with vacations and summer work and I’ve been trying to get my group of friends together a few times before summer ends, but here is another boring filler chapter! Yay! I’m gonna try to speed things along soon and have some more people join Cobra Kai. Specifically, Sam is gonna get into a fight with Kyler soon.. oops spoilers

　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ Cause all I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be 　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙   
　.･:*:･'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ Yeah, yeah, is somebody to you　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙

 

"Come on guys, get up. Everyone in the house besides Mom and Anthony has to shower, we all leave at the same time. Dad goes first but after that it's a freeforall." Sam laughed, but Ellie knew it wasn't true. They had developed an order over the years. After Daniel went Sam, then Ellie, then Aisha. Amanda and Anthony showered at night. So she waited her turn and made quick work of herself, throwing her hair up in a messy bun rather than drying it all out and throwing on the clothes she had brought. 

Her sweater was soft and it reached over her hands, which she loved, along with the fact that her skirt was actually long enough to cover her butt. It reached the middle of her thighs, while still ruffling enough to not be totally boring. Her flats were slipped on next, and she yawned, rubbing her eyes tiredly. Sam insisted they could do makeup at the same time, which was true, due to the size of their bathroom mirror, so Ellie made quick work of her natural look, tugging her hair out of the bun after Sam whined about wanting to do her hair nice. 

She sat on a little stool and chatted with Aisha while Sam curled her hair and Daniel made breakfast. She could smell it from the bathroom, and it made her stomach grumble. Aisha was feeling her sweater sleeves when Sam finished, and Ellie stood up, running her fingers through her soft curls. They just hung loose, not tightly-wound like they could have been, but airy and bouncy just the way she liked them. 

"So..." Daniel looked up from his cooking as they walked in, eyebrows raised. "Anything big happening today? Like, for example, an apology? Just an example, of course..." Ellie flushed a deep red color as Aisha gave her a look that said 'I told you so' and Sam just looked confused. 

"Maybe," Ellie replied blankly, averting her eyes. But she was quick to down her breakfast when it was served and even quicker to gather her stuff and get into the car. She bade Daniel goodbye, even hugging his shoulders around the seat before she climbed out of the car, waving and making a dash for the school building. 

Miguel was standing with Eli and Demitri today. Ellie broke away from Sam and Aisha, running over and grabbing him by the arm. She spun him around and hugged him fiercely, burrowing her face into his shoulder. 

"I'm sorry!" She practically shouted, voice muffled slightly by the boy's sweatshirt. "For avoiding you, I mean. Mr. LaRusso was really upset with me and I was focused on other things, and I was confused, but I'm looking past all of that now and I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings!" She was almost afraid to pull away and look at his expression, but she could already feel him hugging her back just as tightly, which was promising. 

"Don't be. I'm used to being ignored by girls, believe it or not," Miguel replied casually. Ellie scowled, pulling away and looking up at his face. His bruises were fading but he still had a bandaid on his forehead. She reached up and brushed the edge of it with her fingertips, frowning deeply. 

"Don't say that. Are you okay?" She fussed a little bit more, ignoring Demitri's smug look from a few steps away in favor of focusing on her recovering friend. 

"Never better," Miguel replied with a tight smile. Ellie scoffed. 

"Don't be stupid. They beat the living shit out of you. Now tell me, how are you really feeling?" Miguel's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and Demitri snorted, earning a smack from Eli. Ellie sighed. 

"Better now," Miguel tried again, smiling a bit. Ellie shrugged, deciding that if that was all he was gonna give her then she would just have to work with it. 

"Yeah?" She asked again, and he nodded. "Alright, well it's gonna get better. I'm buying hot chocolate at lunch and you're getting some." She winked, turning and heading to her locker without waiting for a response. Granted, her locker was only about five steps away, on the other side of Demitri and Eli, but still. 

"Eli thinks you should ask if he's allergic to anything before forcing a substance into his system," Demitri informed her, frowning deeply. Ellie raised her eyebrows, a sharp laugh escaping her. She opened her locker and took out her books, brushing her hair out of her face. 

"Yes, because he spoke just now," she replied sarcastically. "Everyone heard him." She shook her head, smiling. "Whatever you say, Demi Lovato." 

"Shut up, Elles," he replied, wrinkling his nose. "Or I'll go tell that kid you danced with the other day that you're looking for more." Ellie laughed, turning to face him. 

"Go ahead, turn around. He's right behind you. Tell him I'd love to get together some time, watch some Netflix, chill a bit." She bit her lip to contain her laughter when Demitri turned around to see a furiously blushing Miguel and his eyes widened. 

"I wasn't talking about him!" The boy protested, voice dripping with annoyance. "I was talking about the freshman guy! Speaking of, what ever happened to the first freshman, the one that asked you to dance at the beginning?" 

"If you couldn't remember, I got a little busy once I finished my second dance." Ellie's smile faded and she looked away. Miguel's embarrassment melted into confusion, and guilt flooded her system. Johnny probably hadn't told him what happened before they got separated. She sighed, shoving Demitri aside and grabbing Miguel's hand. 

"Oh, okay, bye!" Demitri said incredulously as she dragged Miguel away to speak privately. 

"Look, I um.. While you were in the bathroom getting your ass kicked, I was with Mr. LaRusso because I wanted to introduce you, and we ran into Johnny Lawrence." She pressed her lips together into a thin line and watched as Miguel's expression morphed into one of understanding. "Needless to say, it didn't end well. Lots of tears. Well," she laughed, fixing her mistake. "At least, there were on my end. Fell out with my father figure. Currently very unhappy with yours. Cue avoidance. I just figured you deserved to know that there was a bit of a fight, and it really wasn't anything you did, I just handled the situation pretty badly." Ellie hadn't let go of his hand the whole time. She poked his index finger with her own, curling them together and letting go, then repeating the action with her pinkie. He mirrored her movements, watching, almost mesmerized. 

"I get it," he said finally. "You've known Mr. LaRusso your whole life, and Sensei can be a bit harsh. You don't have to be sorry." He caught her hand and laced their fingers together, smiling softly. "I'm just glad you aren't avoiding me anymore." Ellie smiled shyly, looking up at him through her lashes. 

"Yeah. Me too."

 

———

 

I ship Eli and Demitri


	12. - 10 -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Daddy been here, hittin’ y’all with the double updates ;)

　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ I used to run around, 　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙   
　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ Didn't wanna settle down 　.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙ 

 

"So what's the deal with you and Miguel? Because it seems like there's more than you are willing to let on," Demitri mused. Ellie linked arms with her friend, maneuvering her way through the stampeding halls on their way to lunch. Her apology to Miguel had gone extremely well, which she was glad for. It had been odd, not speaking to the boy. Things had settled back down, and December was coming to a close, although it was hardly cold enough to be considered winter. Months had passed since the dance, and Ellie was just glad things were back to normal. 

Especially normal, given the amount of time she had been spending at Sam's house, as well. It always made her happy to be with her oldest friend from California. Perhaps her oldest friend in general, considering the fact that she had hardly made any lasting impressions on kids back in New York. 

"Miguel and I?" Ellie questioned, raising her eyebrows. "We're friends. Nothing more, nothing less. I'm actually more interested in you and Eli, if I do say so myself. Not that you two weren't close before, but you've been practically inseparable since you danced together at the Halloween dance. Danced together," Ellie repeated, smirking as Demitri's face became a bright red color and they entered the cafeteria. 

The atmosphere changed immediately, and Ellie noticed, her smile fading a little. She glanced around, and spotted Sam with a tray of her lunch, glancing around hopelessly. All eyes seemed to be on her as she took small steps in aimless directions. Demitri was still talking, but Ellie was hardly listening. She moved into the lunch line, deciding to talk with her about it afterwards, since school gossip never exactly reached her ears anyway. 

She purchased her usual salad, sighing heavily as she paid for her food and headed back out into the open space of the cafeteria. Her eyes widened in immediate shock as she watched the sudden violence that had broken out in her mere moments of distraction. 

Miguel was being slammed onto a lunch table, only to be flung over onto another one feet away. She could feel her face frowning slightly red as anger broiled up within her. Kyler never learned. She itched to intervene, storming over to a table and slamming her tray down. Phones were flashing left and right. Ellie picked up her salad, glancing over to see Miguel as he completely flipped the situation around. 

"It's Cobra Kai!" She heard him shout angrily, before throwing a solid punch and burying a kick into Kyler's back. The boy stumbled forwards, falling onto his stomach. Ellie hurried over and dumped her salad on his head, then scurried away, unable to contain her laughter. Judging by the look on his face when he spotted her, he knew who had done it. Ellie's eyes widened as he started towards her, ignoring the fight that was going on just feet away from them. 

"Oh shit!" She heard multiple voices cheering and yelling as she slipped through the crowd, hell-bent on avoiding Kyler himself, who was only gaining as the crowd parted for him. She broke through a wall of people and stumbled into the clearing that had been formed for Miguel's fight, which was still happening on the opposite side of the table she was standing beside. A large hand grabbed her wrist and she gasped, whirling around to face the boy she was avoiding. 

Dressing dripped down his face from his hair, which appeared very greasy, and a few leaves clung to his cheeks and shoulders. She couldn't help but laugh at his disheveled appearance, which appeared to just make him angrier. 

"Who the hell do you think you are?" He shouted over everyone, and although it didn't go completely silent, a lot of the attention was splitting between the two situations. "You showed up in the middle of our last year in middle school and now you walk in acting like you own the place. So who the hell are you?" He demanded. 

Ellie was at a loss for words. She looked down at her wrist. It ached, he was clutching it so tightly. But she didn't say so, instead choosing to glare up at him defiantly. She hadn't let him boss her around before, and she wouldn't start now. 

"Let go of me, Kyler!" She insisted, trying to pull away, but he just tightened his grip, grabbing her other wrist in the process. "You don't scare me!" 

"Well maybe you should be scared!" He snarled, the anger clear in his eyes. "And maybe you should stay out of my way. Because if you don't, then I'll hurt someone you love. I'll hurt those faggot friends you've got. Their faces will be painted with black and blue. His lip will be even more messed up than it was before, and it'll be your fault for not getting off my case." Ellie glanced into the crowd, helplessly searching out the faces of her friends. She spotted Sam, who looked angry and absolutely petrified, then Demitri, who was standing close to Eli, a deeply concerned expression on his face that looked about ready to give way into fear. 

"You can't do that!" Ellie insisted. "I'll tell— I don't care if I get the title 'tattletale', you're threatening people, and you can't do that!" Kyler forced her around and held her by the shoulders from behind now, forcing her to look at all of the people surrounding them. 

"How many of them do you think would take your side if it just means I'll get them outside of school instead? There are no rules out there, so long as you don't get caught." He sounded like he thought he had it all figured out. Ellie bit her lip and finally wrenched herself away from him. She turned around, straightening herself up, and watched as he stood up to his full height. A smirk had spread across his face. Out of the corner of her eye, Ellie could see Miguel. She shook her head, took a step closer to Kyler, wound up, and smacked him across the face. 

"You absolute piece of shit!" She cried out. "The world is going to know how much of an ass you are!" He was touching his cheek with a bemused look, as if he had been expecting it. He probably had. Ellie held her ground, folding her arms across her chest. 

"You want to know who I am?" She demanded. "Just fucking ask me! Is it that god damn hard? I'm not a mystery! I'm a nobody from New York, okay? I'm a nobody from New York, and that's all I've ever been! So get off of my ass about it and just leave me alone!" She nearly shouted. Tears blurred her vision, and her hands were clenched so tightly into fists that her knuckles were white and her entire form was shaking. A teacher was escorting Miguel from the room, but she was hardly paying attention. She stormed off, biting her lip and wiping her cheeks, but new tears just appeared seconds later. 

She exited the lunch room alone and navigated the halls with slight difficulty, though she found the exit relatively quickly and left the building. Her phone started to buzz in her pocket moments later, and she chose to ignore it for the time being. Her wrists were a bit red, but they showed no signs of bruising. It was her pride which was wounded. So she trudged down the sidewalk, not exactly sure where she was going, but heading there nonetheless. 

Twenty minutes of walking did surprisingly little to clear her head, so she picked up her phone the next time it buzzed to see who was trying to get ahold of her. There were a few missed calls, but it was mostly text messages. The majority of them were from Demitri, frantic and filled with typos, which was unlike him. She sent a reply telling him where she was and that she wouldn't be going back to school that day as she walked, finally sure that she would be heading home. She put the first few digits of her mother's phone number in, but realized that she would be busy at work and deleted it. Glancing around at her location, she saw hardly anything familiar. She didn't tend to look out the window on the bus. 

Another few minutes of walking led her to a strip mall. There was a convenience store, which was very convenient, considering the fact that Ellie was hungry. Her lunch had sort of ended up on Kyler's head. But she knew this place. She had been here before. The Cobra Kai logo loomed over her ominously as she passed it in favor of the store. She walked in, feeling the buzz of her phone multiple times while she pulled out her wallet. She grabbed a coke and a pack of donuts, sighing as she headed up to the counter. 

"Bad day?" The man behind the register questioned. Ellie scoffed. 

"You have no idea," she replied, fishing out the amount on the screen to hand over to the man. He took it and gave her change, bagging her items. "Worst day," she added, frowning. 

"Everybody has 'em. One time this kid who lives in the area came in here to buy some meds for his grandma, and a bunch of hotheads decided to try to buy some beer. The kid with the grandma blew their cover, they tried to beat the shit out of him right outside." The man pointed out his window. Ellie glanced over. She could imagine who it was based on the stories she had been told. 

"I think I know those boys," she stated through clenched teeth. "Bunch of assholes. Excuse my language," she added hastily afterwards, opening her donuts. "Just had a go with the big one. Public humiliation. Maybe not as bad as physical violence, but still. He's gonna get his ass handed to him when the school sees what he did to me, though, and I'm here for that." She smirked, taking a bite of a donut and tilting her head. 

"You know the one who was getting picked on too, then, right?" The man behind the counter asked. "The littler one, with the black hair and the braces." Ellie nodded, immediately softening at the mention of her friend. A warm smile formed on her face and she looked down at her hands. 

"Yeah, that's Miguel. He's one of my best friends. He got in another fight with all of those kids today and he actually won this time!" She told him, unable to keep the pride from her voice. "I mean, he's probably gonna get in trouble, but still! I'm just happy that he didn't get beat up again. He doesn't deserve that." Her smile grew a little when she looked at her phone to see multiple texts from Miguel himself asking if she was alright and where she was. 

"Sounds like you two are close," the guy mused. Ellie felt her cheeks heat up a little bit, and she averted her eyes, smiling as she sent Miguel a reply telling him that she was fine. She let him know where she was, deciding that she would probably be there for a while unless her mother got out of work early. 

"We are," Ellie confessed. "He only moved here earlier this year, but I already feel so close to him. We're so similar, and we understand each other, too. I really care for him a lot." She grinned, taking a sip of her coke. The shop was empty apart from her, and it seemed like the parking lot outside was empty, too, save for a red car that was pulling in to the Cobra Kai dojo. Her nose wrinkled slightly in distaste as Johnny Lawrence got out and headed towards the store of all places. 

"I'm sure he cares about you, too," the shopkeeper said with a small smile. "You seem like a good kid, and he does, too. Good match for each other." Ellie blushed furiously at the last comment, trying to mask it by stuffing another donut in her mouth, though it did little to help. 

The bell on the door jingled as Johnny walked in. Ellie averted her eyes, stepping away from the counter so that he could have his turn. The man at the register seemed to immediately fall into a lazier attitude, his eyes lidded and his smile gone. He even slouched a little bit. The silence in the store was the most awkward Ellie had experienced in her life. Her face just got even redder as she retreated towards the exit, thanking the man quietly and leaving the building, though she was unsure of exactly where she was supposed to go. She had been away from school for a little over an hour, so there wasn't much time left until kids would be getting out anyway. 

She pulled out her phone and saw that her answer to Miguel's earlier texts had apparently been less-than-satisfying. He said that he had karate after school but he would call her as soon as he had a free moment, which she told him was absolutely unnecessary, but he didn't reply. Smiling and shaking her head, Ellie answered her phone when it started ringing. 

"What are you doing?" She asked, but she was giggling. "You're in school. You can't be calling me." 

"Hello to you too, Princess," he replied quietly. "It's a locker break, I've got like, ten minutes. But I could stretch my luck." Ellie sat down on the curb and took a bite of a donut, glancing around. 

"You'd better not. They're already going to be keeping a super close eye on you. Any word on what happened to the assholes who started all of this?" She asked, opening her drink to take another sip. 

"Well, they saw what Kyler did, so he's in the most trouble out of all of us, but it's still really not much. He's suspended for a week and he's got like, five detentions, but they didn't even take him off the sports teams, which I personally think is absolute crap. The rest of them, and me, we just got the detentions. But it was so worth it, I mean, did you see me? I was so badass." Ellie laughed at his self-awe, which was well-deserved in her opinion. 

"I didn't see all of it, but I saw the beginning. You did look pretty cool," she admitted. "You've gotta teach me how to get thrown onto a table like that!" This time Miguel laughed, and he sounded happy. Ellie supposed She was happy, too, if only because she was talking to him. 

"It's not that difficult. All you have to do is walk up to Kyler and ask nicely for a beating." Miguel said it like it was so simple, which would have made Ellie smile, were she not still upset about the situation as a whole. "Listen, Ellie?" She snapped back to attention, humming in reply. Miguel seemed to hesitate. Ellie was aware that Johnny had exited the shop a few moments ago and was watching her from a few feet away, seemingly waiting for her to finish. "I'm sorry I didn't save you from Kyler," Miguel finally said, and Ellie's brow furrowed. 

"Miguel, that's not your fault," she stated firmly, noticing how Johnny tended up at the sound of his student's name. "You were busy— Busy being awesome, like a karate master, okay? And I'm sure your Sensei will be very proud to hear that you actually won a fight against all of those boys who have been giving your trouble." She cast a meaningful glance in Johnny's direction, and the blonde looked shocked. She smiled a little. "The point is, Miguel, that you were there for yourself. So what if I got yelled at by some idiot? I'm fine." 

"Really? You don't sound fine," Miguel pointed out. "You sound upset, and sad, and like you need a hug." Ellie blushed, averting her eyes from Johnny and looking back down at the ground. 

"I am upset," she murmured. "Nobody likes to get screamed at in the middle of a cafeteria. But I'm mostly just proud of you, and I want you to be proud, too. Because you really should be proud, Miguel. You were amazing. So yeah, maybe I'm upset, but I'll get over it. There are more important things." She forced a small smile, but it became genuine when she heard Miguel laughing a little bit. 

"Never fear, Princess. I can be proud and provide the hug you're in desperate need of. I'll be there in ten minutes." With that, the phone clicked off. Ellie's jaw dropped, and she stood up, nearly dropping her food. 

"Ten minutes?!" She demanded, even though he had already hung up. "School isn't over yet. Oh god, I'm friends with an idiot!" She scarfed down the rest of her mini donuts and tossed the wrapper in the trash. "Your student lacks ambition when it comes to academics!" She accused Johnny, scowling. "Listen here, Mr. Lawrence. Miguel did wonderfully today, and if you aren't proud of him, then you don't deserve him. I'm sure you'll see the video eventually." She raked her hair up into a messy bun, pinching the bridge of her nose. 

"Yeah, I bet he kicked ass," Johnny mused. "He's a loser, but he's a good kid. He's not in too much trouble, is he?" 

"Not with the school," Ellie admitted begrudgingly. "I'm more concerned about what his mom is going to say. She banned him from training with you once, it could happen again." Johnny seemed to deflate at the thought, confidence draining from his face. 

"I hope not," was all he said before he sat down and started eating his slice of pizza. Ellie rolled her eyes, pulling her knees tight to her chest and waiting. Ten minutes felt like days. When she saw a bike making its way towards them, she stood up, rubbing her eyes gently. Exhaustion finally settled in, and her shoulders slouched a bit as she watched the figure make his way towards them as quick as he could. 

When he came to a stop, she plastered a smile onto her face, though it quickly faded into an 'o' shape of surprise when he immediately crashed against her into a tight hug. It was warm, and comfortable. She melted against him and hugged back, arms going around his neck as her face buried itself in his shoulder. 

Maybe he was right. Maybe she really did just need a hug.


End file.
